Absolut Gets Artsy, Wants to ‘Transform Today’

Vodka brand Absolut has a new campaign, Transform Today, in which it has teamed up with artists and created videos to push the idea of the brand as a creative collaborator.

A revamped website hosts artist profiles with videos that introduce the so-called creators, the ideas that inspire them, and the goals of their work.

In November, the artists will “open up their creative processes” online and at interactive events.

“The initiative will offer participants the opportunity to explore their own creative potential through a variety of media, enabling them to realize their own ability to create the future,” Absolut says.

In addition to 60- and 30-second spots, four backstories presenting the artists’ views on transformation are available on the Absolut website and YouTube channel.

Additional videos in the series range from about 14,000 to 26,000 views.

Absolut says it will also host a challenge that asks fans to submit their own creative projects that best represent how they would “Transform Today.”

According to Absolut, Transform Today continues the brand’s history of “pushing the boundaries of contemporary culture to connect with the passions of a new generation.”

The brand has been working with artists for 30 years, starting with Andy Warhol.

“Our intention is elevated debate and we are convinced that when you want to build strong brands, you need to have a higher purpose. That’s what we’re aiming with with Transform Today,” says Maxime Kouchnir, vice president of vodkas at brand parent Pernod Ricard USA. “Think of the campaign as a movement with digital video content, but we’re not going to rest there.”

Absolut says it aims to connect with the creative spirit in everyone and to inspire artistic transformation around the world.

“From a consumer perspective, it starts from a shared belief we have with consumers that the future is actually not set in stone, not a given, but we have the power as individuals to transform not only ourselves into more creative persons, but to transform society at large,” Kouchnir says.

The promotion targets “urban creative Millennial consumers” who “have a sense of creation, creativity, and a shared belief they can have an impact on themselves and on society at large,” Kouchnir says.

@AbsolutVodka_US has 20,000 followers. The brand is using #TransformToday to push the promotion.

The campaign is its first with creative services agency Sid Lee.

Absolut says it is the world’s fourth largest premium spirits brand and it is sold in 126 markets. Every bottle is produced in Åhus in southern Sweden.

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